IPS officer thrashes shopkeeper for keeping shop open during WB polls

Kolkata: Deputy Commissioner of the detective department, Nargendra Tripathi, was caught on CCTV slapping a shopkeeper over and over again for keeping the shop open during polling on Thursday.

The shop’s door was partially open as the third phase of polling was underway in West Bengal. Reports of violence also came in and a CPI(M) worker was killed.

The police officer went inside the shop to enquire as to why the shop was open. The shopkeeper said that there was no notification from the authorities to close the shop. Apparently the shop owner’s answer ticked the police officer who then started thrashing the shopkeeper.

Former Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh said, “This is totally unacceptable and uncalled for. An IPS officer is supposed to be a role model for his junior and colleagues with right conduct of behaviour. A case needs to be registered against the officer for taking law into his own hands. This is for the top leadership of the police to give exemplary punishment to this delinquent officer.”

Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said, “Government is encouraging this kind of cases and with the help of government; police officers are behaving like this. I demand election commission to take stern election against the officer.”